


Live from Five

by WillowDragonCat



Category: Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, Stingray (UK TV), Thunderbirds, gerry anderson - Fandom
Genre: Family Fluff, Fun, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:03:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25996447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WillowDragonCat/pseuds/WillowDragonCat
Summary: John and Selene have a monthly podcast. No, he's not thrilled about it.( Written for the Gerry Anderson Podcast Fanzine, but since the Isolation Updates were so well received I thought I'd post these too)
Relationships: Tracy Family - Relationship
Comments: 8
Kudos: 23





	1. Live From Five One

Live from Five

S: Hi all and welcome to the first Live from Five. It's a new year, this is a new podcast and it's gonna be epic. I'm joined by the voice in the sky, the answerer of calls and all round awesome dude, John. Say hello to the world, love. 

J: *huffs out a put-upon sigh* Hello world, allow me to introduce myself. My name is John and I am one half of the space monitoring team for International Rescue. 

My woman has convinced -bullied- me into joining her in contributing to this endeavour. Apparently there has been some speculation as to whether I actually exist, if I ever land earth side and if I actually have a life away from TB5. 

She thought that some of you might be interested in hearing more about the way things work behind the scenes at International Rescue. Contrary to popular belief Thunderbird Five is not just a glorified answering machine. In fact, it's a highly advanced space station and communications satellite that stays in go-stationary orbit above- Are you yawning? 

S: *muffles a yawn with her hand* What? No! OK yes, sorry, but…erm...maybe a little less technical talk and a little more about the man instead of the craft? You are a little elusive…

J:Granted, I may not be as well known as my brothers, but I like to think that I do play a part in making sure that those who need help are always heard. I studied communications and electronics at Harvard as well as undergoing training with NASA and Tracy College. I have always had a love for the stars and have written four textbooks in-

S: Dude, this isn't a job interview, they don't need your credentials, they want to get to know you. Tell them something they wouldn't have read online or seen on TV. 

J: Well I'm sorry, I don't get much time for social interactions, maybe if I had a whole crew up here like those Spectrum guys, I'd know how to make small talk. 

S: Oh hush, you'd hate that, you love the peace and quiet, remember you said you'd swap with Alan two weeks early if Gordon kept singing Old Town Road at 2am?

J: You just had to remind me… 

S: Sorry, carry on. 

J: Well I've lost my train of thought now because you keep interrupting me. 

S: Why don't you tell them about your role in rescues, just because you aren't on the ground doesn't mean you sit back and do nothing like some people think. 

J: Of course I don't, who would even say that? I have a very important job, the only time I sit and watch is when my idiotic brothers get themselves into more trouble than should be humanly possible, especially Alan.

S: That boy could find trouble in his sleep. 

J: I'm not even going to mention the trouble that Gordon got into while with WASP. 

S: Yeah, probably best. 

J: We've drifted again, haven't we? I'm not sure this whole podcast thing is a good idea. 

S: Sure it is, you just have to get more comfortable as the one being listened to for once. People will love you, I promise, but if you start getting the amount of fan mail the others do, I might have to rethink it. 

J: Well, maybe I need some fans, it can get a little lonely up here, and we have the definition of a long distance relationship-

S: You do not need thundergroupies! And you literally couldn't get further away from me if you tried, I am a space widow! But enough about my suffering, why don't you tell the listeners what happens when you receive a call? 

J: Well, as most people probably know it doesn't matter which frequency an SOS is transmitted from, we will pick it up. The original Five was mostly used for monitoring the airwaves and relaying information, but since she's had her overhaul and Brains installed the holo-technology it's become even more of a full time job. Nothing gets past me now. 

S: Don't I know it. 

J: I'm ignoring you. 

S: Nothing new there then…

J: As I was saying, although I cannot give any information on our crafts or how they work, I can tell you what happens when we receive a distress call. 

Our systems are designed to automatically scan for certain keywords and phrases, obvious ones such as 'help' 'danger' 'accident', in each and every language-

S: And when Gordon has been visiting they suddenly pick up any mention of the word 'butt' and playback the broadcast it was said in. 

J: Why wasn't I an only child? 

S: So, an emergency broadcast is received… 

J: I will always try to initiate communication with the rescuee in order to gain as much information on the situation as possible. While they are filling me in I'll be honing in on their location, getting a picture of the area, charting the terrain, monitoring the situation and creating a report to relay to base. My job doesn't just end when I pass the details over, it's not like calling the emergency services where they cut the call as soon as help arrives. I continue to assist my brothers during the entire process, problem solving, helping when needed, sometimes even joining them if the situation calls for it. So I am far from idle up here. 

S: Of course you aren't. Now, when we were approached about doing this project a few people sent in some questions for us to answer, you up for that? 

J: Sure, not like I've got anything better to do, is it? 

S: The sarcasm is strong in this one, but I'll take it. Question one, if you could have any other job in International Rescue, what would it be? 

J: I wouldn't want any other job, this one suits me just fine. Up until today I wasn't bothered by anyone or forced to be the center of attention. 

S: That's not how this works, love, you have to give an answer, so suck it up buttercup. 

J: Fine, I guess I'd do Alan's job. 

S: Why am I not surprised? 

J: Because you know me? 

S: …True. OK, question two, are you a cat or a dog person? Oh, that's getting right to the heart of the matter, that is. 

J: I don't see how this question has any relevance to…stop glaring at me…fine. I guess, if I had to choose, I'd say I'm a cat person.

S:Why? 

J: Dogs tend to be a little needier, they require near constant attention, whereas cats are fine with doing their own thing. Cats like attention on their terms, they will only socialise when they feel like it, they are fine being left alone. 

S:So basically, you're a cat? 

J: I think we're done here. 

S: Until next month!

J: Must we? 

S: Yes, but don't worry, next time will be better, now that the introductions are out of the way and people know they can send in questions and get the real picture from the heavens eye- 

J: Please don't call me that. 

S: Star boy? 

J: No. 

S: IT guy in the sky?

J: Please stop. 

S: Ground control to Major John? 

J: EOS, cut feed.


	2. Live From Five Two

S: And what did you learn? 

J: Never go golfing with Tom, especially when he insists you stop at the 19th hole. 

S: That's right… Oh, podcast time! 

J: Joy. 

S: Well you're in a mood. 

J: It's not a mood, it's a lifestyle choice. 

S: Miserable. 

J: Can we just get on with this? 

S: Sure, his everyone and welcome back to another Live from Five, I'm joined by the awesome John Tracy. Want to tell us what's been happening in the world since last month? 

J: Hello all. Our friends at WASP solved the mystery of the Pink Ice that had been causing much concern. Ships everywhere were confined to port and those that were already out at sea needed help. Even Thunderbird Four couldn't get through it, so we had to ferry as many crew members as we could in Two, going back and forth in shifts. Gordon spoke to Captain Tempest after the event and heard that the entire Stingray crew risk their lives to chase down the party responsible, their own craft becoming trapped in the frozen waters. 

S: I must admit, it was eerily beautiful though, dangerous, but beautiful. At least with everyone working together it meant that no one lost their lives, which is always the important thing. 

Talking of weirdly beautiful, did anything happen with that planet that broke orbit a couple of weeks ago? I read about it on Holobook. 

J: Yes, it was taken care of when Alan's mentor, Colonel Zodiac, was dispatched to investigate. The planet was deemed to potentially be dangerous and, as it was uninhabited, it was destroyed as a precaution. 

S: Good to know. Is that it for the news?

J: It's all I'm at liberty to talk about, yes. 

S: OK. So, we've been sent in a couple of questions. In the first one, you were asked what is the hardest part of your job? 

J: Wow, right in there with the hard ones, you don't want to ease me in a little? 

S: You don't like random questions and that's the form the second one takes, this is me easing you in. 

J: Right. *clears throat* I guess the hardest part would be coordinating with difficult callers or unhelpful local authorities. We like rescues that go as smoothly as possible , and while we're not always able to foresee all potential problems it cuts down the likelihood of issues when everyone else involved works with you as much as they can. 

Unfortunately there are some people that need help but seem determined to hinder our progress the entire time, be it by not following our instructions and thinking they know best, being argumentative or reckless. That's bad enough, but when local authorities or even certain companies are involved they don't always take kindly to us coming in to deal with the situation. They will believe that they have the situation under control, when nothing could be further from the truth, or they will simply be too ignorant or in denial about their contribution to the problem. 

It's not always easy to keep calm, be polite but firm and talk them round to our way of thinking. It can be very frustrating at times and our lives would be infinitely easier if everyone just let us get on with our job. 

S: Huh, interesting. You're right, that's definitely a hard part and something I hope that certain people take note of. 

J: You always have a different opinion to mine and I doubt this time is any different. What would you count as the hardest part of the job? 

S: For me it's not judging people when they call up with a story straight out of an episode of dumb ways to die and they need saving. 

J: *snorts out a laugh* You know we aren't supposed to judge anyone, it's not our place to discriminate, we are here to help anyone who needs it, regardless of how or why they need it. 

S: Admit I have a point. When someone has got themselves into trouble through their own arrogance, impatience or stupidity, I'm allowed to judge a little. Admit it! 

J: I admit nothing. 

S: Oh! Talking of dumb ways to die, what's his latest? 

J: You mean Scarlet at Spectrum? From what my scanners picked up last week he rolled off the back of a speeding truck and was run over by a bus full of drunk college students on their way home for the weekend. 

S: I shouldn't laugh… 

J: But no doubt you will. 

S: *cracks up laughing*

J: *waits politely for a few moments *Are you nearly done? 

S: Yes…no…sorry, I can't stop picturing it! Give me a moment. *sucks in a deep breath and slowly blows it out, wheezing to a stop* OK, OK… I'm good…*deep breath* I'm sure this is all just an elaborate life insurance scam on Adam's part. 

J: We will never prove it. 

S: Shame.

J: Can we get on with this, what's the second question? 

S: It reads : John, what special skills do you and your brothers have and what does that talent bring to the rescues? 

J: Hmm, let's see. Well, Scott is one of those people that will always find a way through a situation. He never gives up, so I guess determination is his talent, along with being pretty fearless, he'll try anything, real adrenaline junky. This means that he will often put himself in danger trying to save everyone. 

S: You're all guilty of that. 

J: But Scott has almost zero self preservation sometimes. Now, Virgil, he's always able to stay calm in a crisis and manages to extend that calming influence to others, meaning that he can usually relax even the most panicked rescuee. He can also listen to something once and play it back almost note perfect, even if he's never heard it before. 

S: What's Alan's? 

J: Alan is gifted with the ability to not think. 

S: *cracks up laughing again* That's mean! 

J: I hadn't finished. I meant that he can easily enter that head space where he doesn't focus on what he's doing or what still needs to be done, he just keeps the end goal in sight and reacts without thinking too hard about it. He's a natural at pretty much everything he tries, this means that he can operate any of our crafts if one of us is out of action. 

Gordon is always cheerful, often to the point of being annoying. But in a serious situation it can sometimes be beneficial to have someone there to lighten the mood. I must point out that he is always a professional and serious when it comes to the actual rescuing of people. 

Do we have any more questions? 

S: I think you missed one there, love. 

J: I did? You only asked one question.

S: You didn't share your talent. 

J: I'm really not that interesting. 

S: Humour me. 

J: I can hack anything and anyone. 

S: That's not gonna make a lot of people worry, is it? Anyway, now it's my turn to spill the tea on where their real talents lay. 

J: What talents? 

S: Scott can flip and land any pancake, any size or shape. Perfect every time. 

J: That's true, he can. 

S: Virgil can balance things on his nose. Either sitting up or lying down. Not just the usual spoon thing, oh no, I've seen that boy balance an egg there for more than a minute before the temptation grew too much and Gordon smashed his hand down on it. 

J: *coughs to cover up a laugh*

S: Alan can bend his thumb back to touch his wrist and the first time I saw him do it I thought he'd broken something. 

J: It is quite disturbing. 

S: Not as disturbing as Gordon's talent. He can bend over backwards and walk, or sometimes run, on his hands and feet. He once chased a screaming Alan down the hall and I couldn't stop laughing for a solid ten minutes. 

J: I dread to think what you are counting as my talent. 

S: You have the most unnatural talent ever. 

J: I have no idea what you're thinking of. 

S: Obviously the fact that you can eat an entire dry bagel, straight out of the packet, not even toasted, without needing a drink to wash it down. I bet you can eat a jam donut without licking your lips too. 

J: I can, yes. 

S: Weird! I also find it amazing that you can throw anything and land it perfectly. Like nothing but net, always lands in the trash even in zero-g, can hit anyone between the eyes with a small projectile, yet you've never played basketball. 

J: I don't like the rules. 

S: Oh, oh! Bonus talents! Alan can burp the alphabet. Scott can measure things by eye with almost 100% accuracy, it's really handy sometimes. Virgil can make a bed with perfect hospital corners, but hates sleeping in it and lastly Gordon knows the words to every single ABBA song. He also cannot resist joining in if you spontaneously burst into song. Doesn't matter what you are singing, he just has to get involved. 

J: Which is why I have a recording of the pair of you singing "Bad Romance" in the kitchen. *audio begins to play*

S: That's all for today! 

J: But it's so good! 

S: EOS, CUT FEED!


	3. Live From Five Three

Selene: I saw a video yesterday, and, well, I feel like we need to address it. 

John: Alright…should I be worried?

S: *mutters * not as much as I am. 

J: Pardon? 

S: Nothing, love. 

J: That's just made it worse. Show me it. 

S: Not yet, first I have to ask, and I know it's a delicate subject between us, but where the heck did you get that evil, ugly, disgusting silk monstrosity you call a dressing gown? 

J: The one you hate? 

S: My description didn't make that clear? 

J: Gordon gave it to me one Christmas, maybe four years ago. He said it was a one of a kind, designer original. 

S: Not like more than one thing that hideous should be allowed to exist at one time. 

J: I can't say that it's really my taste-

S: Thankfully- 

J: But I wear it to please him. Why do you ask? 

S: I was nosing around Holobook and saw that Atlanta shared a memory from a few years ago, it's a clip from "This is your life" when Troy was honoured. Did you see it? 

J: No, I can't say that I did. 

S: They woke him up after a heavy night and he was wearing something scarily familiar… *passes him her tablet *

J: *Watches the first few seconds then groans* Why do I feel like he stole that and just gifted it to me because he left it too late to go Christmas shopping? 

S: Because that sounds exactly like something he would do. 

J: It's tainted now. 

S: Does that mean I can finally set it on fire? 

J: No. 

S: Well you're no fun. 

J: So you frequently tell me. 

S: It's podcast time! 

J: Anything to get off this conversation. 

S: Once again I am joined by the lovely, handsome, perfect-

J: Stop sucking up

S: John Tracy, space monitor and all round awesome dude. 

J: Not like I had a choice. 

S: So, let's start with the news, what's been going on in the world since we last spoke to everyone? 

J: Lots, the world never sleeps, there is always someone, somewhere that needs help with a situation. 

S: Care to actually share some of these situations with us? 

J: I can share a few. 

S: Cool, OK, so let's start with Starfleet! 

J: I wish you would stop referring to the World Space Patrol that way. 

S: Meh, anyway I spoke to Venus last week and she said that they had a little trouble with a rogue plant? Honestly, I thought she might have been using a little too much wine in her Coq Au Vin. 

J: No, you actually heard that correctly. I monitored the situation myself but it wasn't our jurisdiction so we didn't get involved. My scanners picked up a long range missile heading towards earth, which in itself was surprising enough and cause for concern. I radioed through to Space City with a warning but it had already been detected by their instruments. They all scrambled, evacuating as many people as they could. 

S: Well, yeah, they would. That's a scary and dangerous thing to happen. Was anyone hurt? 

J: You'd think so, but no, it didn't actually explode, or cause any real damage at all. They examined it, found it to be a dud and arranged for it to be dealt with the following morning. 

S: That's a bit anticlimactic. 

J: You wanted death and destruction? 

S: Well, not death, obviously. But, you know, a little kaboom maybe. 

J: You're a strange woman. 

S: So you keep telling me. So where was this troublesome plant involved? 

J: That's the strange part, they all arrived on shift the next morning to find the entire of Space City, including the launch areas and the control tower, completely covered in creeping vines. Every time they tried to cut it back it grew back stronger. Very hardy and very fast growing. 

S: OK, I forgive Venus for being dramatic about it now. 

J: They drafted in Dr Rootes, an old friend of Professor Matic, who had been making an extensive study of space plants. He informed them that a hormone from the planet Hedera would destroy the vegetation. They hacked their way through the vines and quickly took to the skies, taking the Doctor with them to Hedera to gather the supplies. 

S: I'm assuming they sorted it, though Venus didn't give specifics. 

J: From what I heard there was an altercation with an alien plant creature created by Rootes himself in order to take over planet earth. 

S: So we nearly became a jungle planet? Damn. 

J: It seemed that the plant creature was planning on turning others into beings such as itself, starting with Venus. Fortunately they had Robert with them and he stopped the creature. They took Rootes into custody and used the hormone to take care of the plants. 

S: That's crazy! It's a good job they were there to stop him, nutty man. Any other news? 

J: Scott heard from an old buddy of his in the Air Force that the Supercar team helped them out of a dangerous situation. Dr Beaker and Prof Popkiss were helping Colonel Lewis to test a new type of rocket fuel. Brains has been highly suspicious of it, and so he's been following their progress. 

S: Oh, yes, I remember him muttering something about that when I walked past the lab on Friday. What happened? 

J: As Brains predicted, things went wrong with the test balloon. I overheard their distress calls. They lost control of the balloon, carrying the highly explosive fuel, and all attempts to detonate the load safely failed. 

We offered to help but Mike Mercury stepped in with his craft, Supercar, firing at the balloon at close range, although he almost didn't make it. He had an issue with a cabin leak, which as you know must stay pressurised at all times. He managed to repair it and explode the fuel before anyone was hurt. Luckily for him Supercar was fast enough to allow him to escape. Not as fast as our crafts but still pretty nippy. 

S: Any craft is like a snail with luggage compared to the Thunderbirds. 

J: *shrugs* Brains does good work. 

S: What about the Spectrum lot? 

J: I don't know if it's supposed to be public knowledge, but since he's no longer with Spectrum I'd guess I'm allowed to talk about it-

S: He's what now? Who's not with Spectrum anymore? 

J: Scarlet. I heard over the scanners that he'd stolen an SPV. 

S: Wow, he doesn't do things by halves that one. 

J: Indeed. Gordon heard that he's got a bit of a gambling problem, lost all his money and resigned from the organisation. 

S: When did this all happen? 

J: Yesterday. 

S: No wonder Destiny didn't reply in our WhatsApp group chat this morning. 

J: There's a WhatsApp group? Who's in there? 

S: I thought you knew everything? 

J: Pardon me for giving you some privacy. 

S: OK, Mr Snappy Pants. The Angels are all in it, Penelope, Atlanta, Venus, Abbie, Heather, Isabelle, we added Kayo too, but she said we talked too much and left after an hour. Oh, and Marina! It's crazy how much that girl chats when you only have to type. Did you know that her Grandmother had a pet crab and used to walk it on a lead? 

J: *Just stares at her*

S: What?

J: I will never understand women. 

S: Not with that attitude, you won't. 

J: *one eyebrow lifts*

S: It's not like we're an alien species. 

J: Aliens would be easier. 

S: Are you trying to tell me that you boys don't talk rubbish on your group chat? 

J: Alan and Gordon do,Virgil joins in sometimes, Scott comes in with a witty comment now and then and Dad just lurks so he knows what's going on in our lives and to catch us out when we admit to doing something wrong. 

S: *cracks up laughing* Jeff is a wily one. Is that how he knew it was Gordon that stole that top hat he ordered for the airshow he went to with Penny? 

J: Yes, and that's also how he knew that Scott put his fist through it when Alan tossed it at him like it was a frisbee . He tried to punch it in defence. 

S: Ah, I did wonder *a beep sounds* oh! Hang on. *fishes her phone out of her pocket and taps an answer * sorry about that, apparently Troy is in trouble again. 

J: He is? What did he do this time? Do I have his shoes too? 

S: You'd have to ask your brother about that. As for what he did, he sent a text meant for Marina to Atlanta. 

J: Oh, that's not good. 

S: Yeahhhh, anyway, we have a couple of questions. 

J: I still don't understand why people are so interested in us, but go ahead. 

S: John, what was the most difficult rescue to coordinate? 

J: *sits back in his chair to think* I think the hardest was probably when we dealt with a mid-space collision in low-earth orbit between two freighters that were both carrying cargo that had the potential to become volatile. 

S: Oh, I remember that one, but tell everyone what made it so hard. 

J: It wasn't the actual rescue itself, though that was difficult enough. The real challenge was the pilots themselves. They would just not stop arguing. 

Alan and I had to go out to help them, but because of their stubbornness and arguments we all got caught in the middle of a dangerous debris storm. 

Thankfully… Why are you making that face? 

S: What face? I'm listening. 

J: No you aren't, you're sniffing the air. 

S: Something is offending my nose. What is that? 

J: How should I know, you're the one that can smell it. 

*sniffing noises can be heard followed by the sound of rustling and a few muffled bangs*

J: Erm, hello everyone, she'll be back in just a few moments, she's currently destroying my sleeping quarters, I have no idea why, but then I rarely ever know what she's doing. 

*fumbles with her tablet*

What was I saying before she distracted me? I don't know why I'm asking you, you can't answer m-

S: Ewwwwwww, my gods, what the heck? Why? 

J: Again, I don't know what she's doing…

*the sound of stomping feet can be heard coming closer*

S: What the hell is this? 

J: For the benefit of our listeners, she's currently using a pair of my socks as gloves and is holding a sneaker as far away from her as possible. 

S: It stinks! 

J: It's Alan's. 

S: I'm gonna throw up, what is wrong with that boy's feet? 

J: He's a teenager. 

S: Dude we gotta wrap this up so we can fumigate this place. Can we shoot this into deep space? 

J: And on that note, I guess we're saying goodbye for another month. 

S: Hurry up and help me, it's coating the inside of my nostrils, I think it's in my lungs! I'll never have a working nose again! 

J: EOS, cut feed.


	4. Live From Five Four

S: Hi guys, how're you all doing out there in the outside world? Are you keeping safe? Keeping clean and calm? Good. We knew we could rely on you to not be idiots. 

Welcome back to the Live from Five podcast, I'm once again joined by the wonderful John Tracy. 

J: Hello world. 

S: Well, this is the point in the show where we'd usually catch you all up on the rescues that International Rescue have been called out on and anything we've picked up from the other organisations that we keep in contact and sometimes collaborate with, but as we all know, the world has gone a little mad. 

J: A little? Queen of the understatement there. 

S: Makes a change from you calling me a drama queen then. 

J: You know I never lie. 

S: *narrows eyes * Moving on. We've been on lockdown as much as you guys out there have, in fact I've been keeping people up to date on our isolation with daily reports, so we didn't want to repeat the things you probably already know. 

J: We also didn't want to turn this into just another news report of how bad things are getting down there on Earth or how badly people are treating each other. That's not what we are about here at International Rescue, here we don't discriminate, we don't judge and we will always do everything we can to help people, so focusing on the negative side of humanity feels like us giving a spotlight to people that do not deserve it. 

S: So, in our infinite wisdom-

J: Yours, but for once I agree. 

S: We decided that we would share with you some of the stories we've picked up that showcase the things that some truly wonderful, positive people are out there doing to bring a little joy and laughter to a tough situation. 

J: The first story we want to bring you attention to is that of a Postman in England, Jon Matson, who has been brightening up his rounds by dressing up in a number of different costumes. 

S: So far he has dressed as a cheerleader, Little Bo Peep and a Trojan Warrior. Jon is a big supporter of various charities and his costumes are all left over from his participation in the Boxing Day Dip, a charity swimming event that takes place in the North Sea. 

J: That would be freezing at that time of year, he's a very brave man and very selfless, which is just the reason we picked him. 

S: Our next story is from Australia where, apart from food shopping, the only time residents are leaving their house is to take the trash out. So they have made that into a street wide event, dressing up every time. 

J: My favourites were Iron Man, Cruella de Vil, Where's Waldo - 

S: Wally. 

J: Pardon? 

S: It's Where's Wally. 

J: It's not.

S: It is. 

J: Alan had a number of those books as a boy. I spent hours with him as he searched, I cursed Waldo's very existence, so I can assure you he is not Wally. 

S: In America it's Waldo, in England it's Wally. We had it first, so it's Wally. 

J: No. 

S: To the Google! 

*Silence for a few moments*

J: As I was saying, my favourites were Where's Wally, Elvis and a 1920's gangster. 

S: I liked Duff Man, Carl from Up and the drag queen. Next story! 

J: *checks his list on her tablet* Our next report is in relation to the amazing medical staff that are working so very hard and putting their own lives, and those of their families, a risk by continuing to treat those infected with Covid-19. 

Many patients who are sick will also be feeling scared and very vulnerable, and the fact that all they are seeing is staff in masks, aprons and sometimes even eye protection, isn't helping. 

So the medical staff at Mercy Hospital in San Diego have started taking selfies, which they have printed out, along with their name and job title, and pinned them to their shirts so that their patients can see who is under the mask and know what they look like when they are smiling. 

S: Awww, I love that. People always forget the value of a simple smile. Now, as you know in the UK they have set a limit of only being allowed out once a day for exercise and a lot of people are using that time for their daily run, but now there's a little difference. An organisation called "Run for Heroes" has been set up, where you run 5k, donate £5 and nominate 5 people to do the same. This has already raised almost £75,000 for NHS Charities, helping support the NHS staff treating Corona patients. Over to you! 

J: Scott told me about how Germany has opened up some of its ICU beds to neighbouring countries, taking in patients from Italy and France, with the airforce organising the transportation. Next!

S: Grandma read about a couple whose wedding plans were ruined by the virus outbreak. Instead of their planned 120 guest wedding they had a small ceremony with only two witnesses. They had to cancel their reception too but, instead of receiving a refund for the catering they instead had the company send more than 400 meals to their local hospital for the staff to enjoy. 

J: Was that why she was crying at breakfast yesterday? 

S: Yep. What else have we got to report? 

J: A mystery man in Massachusetts bought every single plant, bouquet and flower in a florist that was being forced to shut due to the virus and distributed them to the local community. 

W: Oh that's so nice, how good would it be to get a knock at your door and find a bunch of flowers waiting there? I can't remember the last time I got flowers. 

J: I buy you flowers! 

S: You left a venus flytrap on my desk. 

J: That still counts. Stop looking at me like that, what else did we find that's positive and will divert attention from me? 

S: The Getty museum in Los Angeles posted online asking people to recreate some famous paintings with everyday items they have lying around at home. They are calling it the Getty Challenge. Here, look at some of these. I love the creativity that is flowing through the world right now, so many amazing things are being produced. 

J: I like that one of the pregnant couple. 

S: Him with the pot on his head and her in the green sleeping bag? 

J: That's the one. That one with the avocado toast and cheese is very good. 

S: That girl with the jug is cute, and I like the grapes for hair. Oh, oh, and that dude dressed as a fancy snail with the woman riding him! 

J: Very good, I like these, remember to show Virgil when we head home tonight. 

S: Will do. Ready for more news? 

J: Always. 

S: Gordon has been telling me all about the environmental benefits that have come out of this crisis, like the canals of Venice being so clear you can actually see dolphins in them. And the Himalayas can actually be seen by the people of India for the first time in decades. Imagine that some children or even adults have never seen the mountains from their windows even though they live so close. Crazy. 

J: I heard from NASA's Earth Observatory that the NO2 levels -nitrogen dioxide- mostly caused by vehicles, industrial sites and thermal power stations, have dropped significantly. There have also been many pictures surfacing of wildlife venturing into the areas that are usually highly populated. 

S: I saw goats that took over a village in Wales and were eating everything in sight. They were roaming in people's gardens, munching their flowers and everything. 

J: That was funny, I'll admit. Now we just have to hope that while the planet is recovering we can learn lessons from this and be a little more conscious of climate change. 

S: Definitely. Well, we've whittered on for long enough but I'm just going to do a general round up of some other lovely things I've been reading. 

I've read of football teams that have opened their hotels for medical staff to stay in for free while they are quarantined from their families. Across the world I've been hearing about whole streets that are coming together to sing and dance. Social distancing street parties are a thing where everyone dances in their own garden while they pump the music. 

The National Theatre is streaming stage shows from their archives, as is the Metropolitan Opera. Virgil has been watching some of them, though I'm not too keen on the more operatic style of singing that some of them have. 

J: Neither am I, although Phantom of the Opera is great. 

S: A town in Spain has been paying communal bingo over a loudspeaker. 

J: Bingo? That game that Parker made everyone play once? 

S: That's the one. Also, volunteer cards have been given out by people offering their help to those in quarantine rather than isolation. And last but not least, Shedd Aquarium in Chicago has taken advantage of being shut to allow its penguins to roam the building and meet other residents. They met dolphins and sharks, all through the tank glass of course. 

J: That was nice, I bet they enjoyed that. 

S: I'm sure they did, penguins enjoy almost everything. 

J: Is that it, are we done now? 

S: Nope, surprise! One more, and my favourite story of the whole month, because you know that I am a sucker for an oldie. A veteran of the second world war is celebrating his 100th birthday by walking a hundred laps of his garden, which is 25 meters in length. He's doing ten laps a day with the help of his walking aid and it's all for charity. Captain Tom Moore from West Yorkshire, had to cancel his big birthday party because of the virus outbreak so decided to do something worthwhile with his time. He started with a goal of raising £1,000 for the NHS but, at this time of recording he'd raised over 23 million and he's also released a charity single with Michael Ball, a version of "You'll never walk alone," and it's gone straight to the top of the iTunes charts."

J: Wow, that is truly amazing. 

S: I know, he's so sweet and adorable and I just love him so much. 

J: Are you crying? 

S: No!... OK, maybe a little. 

J: *hands her a tissue* Need a hug? 

S: Obviously. *shuffles closer*

J: Now are we done? 

S: Yes, now we are. I know this has been a bit of a strange one and not our usual type of update, but it's a strange world out there right now. Spectrum are in isolation on Cloudbase, Marineville is already pretty isolated but they have been under battle stations lockdown for more than three weeks and Space City has suspended all supply runs or trips anywhere. Even the heroes need to follow the rules. 

J: They do. Look at us, we'd prefer to be doing our usual job but unfortunately we can't risk it. As you know many countries have banned us from even entering their air space and we must respect their decision. I've been monitoring calls still and passing them on to the local authorities who make the decision as to whether they need our help or not, it's mostly always not, but at least we've offered. Doesn't stop us feeling completely useless though. 

S: I understand that one. It's hard for everyone to be away from friends and family, to not have the contact that they usually have. But our stories today prove that there are still good people in the world and that if we stick together, be kind, be considerate and caring of each other, we'll get through this. 

J: We will. Remember people of the world, keep your distance, keep washing your hands, try not to touch your face and only go out if you have to. 

S: That's all from us today, we're off back to base to rescue the dinner before it's ruined. Hopefully by the time we speak to you again things will be a little more normal. 

J: Until next time. 

S: Bye from Five. 

J: Well, I think that went well, and it was surprisingly normal for once. 

S: Kinda bad that it takes an apocalypse to make us normal, love. We finally got to say our goodbye catch phrase though, that's a first. 

J: And it only took until our fourth episode, a minor miracle. 

S: Oh, we forgot something. 

J: We did? 

S: We forgot to say 'EOS cut feed.'


	5. Live From Five Five

Sel: Hello all, and welcome to a special edition of Live from Five, where this time we aren't in Five at all and we are joined by some guests. 

J: This is going to be a disaster, I just know it. 

Sel: Ye of little faith. 

J: I of prior experience.. 

G: Do you two have to argue about everything? 

Sel: Yes, it's our thing. But, erm, we hadn't introduced you yet. You shouldn't be talking. 

G: Can't we introduce ourselves? 

J: *sighs* Fine, go on. 

G: Hi! I'm Gordon and I pilot the best thunderbird, the little yellow sub, Thunderbird Four. 

S: My names Scott and I pilot Thunderbird One. 

A: Hey, I'm Alan and I have the coolest Thunderbird because it's a rocket ship! 

V: I'm Virgil and I have brothers that know nothing, because clearly Thunderbird Two is the best Thunderbird. 

Sel: I shouldn't be surprised that you included your 'birds rather than say anything about yourselves. Typical boys and their toys. 

J: Nothing should surprise you anymore. 

K: *clears throat* I think you are all forgetting who actually has the coolest Thunderbird, and that would be me. 

Sel: *claps hands together * Since we're all still in lockdown, as are our associates at Spectrum and WASP, we have very little to report. But we didn't want to miss this months episode, so in our infinite wisdom-

J: You mean your infinite wisdom. 

Sel: I decided that it might be a fun idea to let everyone answer their own questions that our listeners have sent in. 

J: You know we're going to regret this, right? 

Sel: Probably, but we don't really have much of a choice unless you feel the urge to talk about yourself for half an hour? 

J: The first question we had sent in asks which Thunderbird craft would you choose if you didn't have your own? Scott? 

S: Probably Three or Shadow, Two's a little slow for me and Four is far too small. 

V & G: Hey!

Sel: Let's keep it civil guys. 

J: Virgil? 

V: I don't even want to think about cheating on my 'bird. 

Sel: Kinda not how the question works, hun. 

V: Fine, I guess… *shakes head* Nope, can't do it…*sighs* I guess, Four. It wouldn't be too terrible to spend some time under water. 

Sel: Four is cute. 

J: Gordon? 

G: Thunderbird Two, it would be handy to be able to configure any pod I might need. 

Sel: It carries a lot of groceries too. 

J: Alan? 

A: Thunderbird One, it's almost as good as Three. 

S: *scoffs* Almost…yeah, right. 

J: Kayo? 

K: Thunderbird One, I like speed. 

Sel: John? 

J: Three, obviously, or maybe Shadow, stealth mode could come in handy. But I have to say that I'm a little insulted that no one wants Five. 

Sel: *pats his hand* It's OK, we know it's the best. 

G: You told me that Four was your favourite Thunderbird!

J: *shocked gasp*

Sel: I also told you that was a secret, but now look where we are. 

G: Oh, yeah, sorry about that. 

J: I'll never forgive you for that. 

Sel: Moving on! What is one random skill you wish you had, or one thing you wish you could do? Let's start with Gordon this time. 

G: Breathe underwater. 

Sel: Big surprise there. You're already part merman. 

J: Virgil? 

V: It's really strange, but I've always wanted to make my own cheese. 

Sel: Cheese? Seriously? Why? 

V: *shrugs* Why not? Who doesn't like cheese? 

A: He has a very good point. 

Sel: Allie, what would you like to do? 

A: I wish I could roll my tongue. 

J: That's it? 

A: Yeah, I'm simple in my needs. 

J: Scott? 

S: I've always wanted to learn to play the drums. 

J: Please don't. Kayo? 

K: Hula hoop, it's supposed to be great exercise. 

Sel: I can hoop! I'll teach you!

S: Can we watch? 

K: No!

Sel: No boys allowed. 

G: Unfair, what if we wanted to learn? 

Sel: Do you want to learn? 

G: Well… 

K: No joining in unless you are learning. 

J: Moving on-

Sel: Wait, you didn't answer the question. What skill do you wish you had?

J: Invisibility. 

A: Never would have guessed. 

Sel: Next question! What was the last injury you got that wasn't rescue related? Scott? 

S: Are we counting that ejection relay you dropped on my foot while helping me with One's maintenance? 

Sel: Sure, I mean, if we're gonna start pointing fingers… 

J: Virgil? 

V: Hit my head on the diving board trying to drown Gordon. 

G: Oh yeah! And you didn't succeed, nothing can take me down, I am immortal!

S: Then how did you manage to cut your finger chopping lettuce yesterday? 

G: I said immortal not invincible. 

Sel: Honestly, it's easier to herd cats…let's never get them involved again. 

J: Wise decision. Alan? 

A: Trapped my thumb in a door. 

Sel: Kay? 

K: Burnt my hand on the coffee pot. 

Sel: John? 

J: Twisted my ankle tripping over MAX, I swear he's got it in for me. 

Sel: OK guys, last question and then you're free to go. What's on your bucket list? Virg? 

V: Actually have time to visit the Louvre or attend a classical concert in Central Park.

Sel : Ooh, fun. I'll go with you! 

J: Gordon? 

G: Act in a movie.

S: You can't act. 

G: I can too, I act all the time. I act responsible, I act innocent-

V: And you never fool us, hence, you can't act. 

J: *interrupting them* Scott?

S: Buy an old car and drive across America with only $50 in my pocket.

Sel: That’s really random...and actually quite interesting.

S: I thought so. More of a challenge that way, living off my wits and all that.

G: *snorts* wits?

Sel : *jumps in to defuse the potential punch up* Alan, bucket list?

A: Drink a beer in every country.

J: Remind me not to go with you. Kayo?

K: Learn the trapeze and perform in a circus for a night. It looks simple enough.

Sel: Only you could say something like that and actually mean in.

K: *shrugs*

Sel: John? Bucket list?

J: *thinks about it* Write a children's book about space that’s actually entertaining but educational.

A: Seriously? You want to write a kids book?

J: Sure, don’t you remember how you said that all the books Grandma got for you were boring or incorrect? You were lucky enough to have someone at home that was actually an astronaut, others don’t. I want to encourage kids to love space.

Sel: Aww, that's really sweet. 

J: It's not that big a deal. Are we done? I think we're done. 

Sel: Well, this was interesting. But before we close, I just want to throw out one more thing. Do you have any wisdom to share? Like, what’s your life motto?

S: Throw me to the wolves and I’ll return leading the pack, that's something I heard from my team leader in the force and it's always stuck with me. 

A: You do like to be the boss. 

S: Does that mean I can fire you? 

Sel: Guys, don't turn my innocent question into a slanging match. Virgil? *looks his way desperately*

V: It always seems impossible until it’s done. You can do it. Basically, never give up, you've got the ability to do whatever you set your mind to, no matter how hard it seems. 

Sel: Thank you. Gordy? 

G: When you can’t find the sunshine, be the sunshine.

Sel: Aww, you are totally sunshine. Allie? 

A: Do or do not, there is no try. Grandma told me that once when I said I'd try my best on a test. She said it isn't enough to try to do your best, you have to do it. 

J: She also says that try can become an excuse and a reason to slack off. Kayo? 

K:No person is free who is not master of themselves. I don't take orders well. 

S: Don't we know it… oww! 

Sel: Guys, no hitting, please. John?

J: It’s OK to live a life that others don't understand. Just live your best life in a way that makes you happy as long as it's not hurting anyone. People care too much about fitting people into boxes, but the boxes only match their idea of how you should be, not what matches you. 

Sel: Wow, that got deep in a hurry, but a good deep, you know?

A: What’s your motto?

Sel: I have two, one isn't polite enough to repeat. The other is “when things get tough, look up to the stars, not down at your feet”.

J: Now are we done? 

Sel: Yep. 

J: That was…interesting.

Sel: Interesting? 

J: Less chaotic than I had feared 

W: It was definitely not our usual type of podcast, but these are strange times and we’re all trying to make the best of them.

G: Admit it, you liked having us here.

A: We’re available for next month too.

J: That won't be happening

A: Why not? What’s wrong with us?

J: Where do I start? There's too much to list. 

G: That's hurtful, bro. 

S: Very hurtful. 

Sel: OK, I'm turning the camera off now...

(Isolation Update day 64 carries on from this)


	6. Live From Five Six

Selene: Are you happy to be alone again this month?

J: Well, almost alone.

SCott: Hi.

Sel: Dude, it was one of them or all of them, I think you got off lightly.

J: True.

Sel:Then why don’t you sound happier about it?

J: Because you’re still making me do this podcast.

Sel: Tough, suck it up, Buttercup.

S: I’m having a great time.

Sel: We haven’t done anything yet, just wait until I start throwing questions at you.

S: I’ve got nothing to hide, I love talking about myself.

J: Accurate.

Sel: For those of you that aren’t watching the video feed here, Scott has his frowning face on and it’s aimed at his brother so I’m just gonna- *sound of a chair scooching backwards*

J: You act like we can’t be adults.

Sel: Dude, you’ve spent the last three months proving that to be true. 

J: I resent that.

S: Yeah, we’ve just been having fun, well, I have, Johnny doesn’t know what fun is.

J: Did you hear that? That was the airlock warning beep…

Sel: You are not going to threaten your brother with airlock failure. But we are going to get started with some questions.

S: I knew you’d protect me.

Sel: Don’t count on it happening again if you keep baiting him.

S: I thought you were on my side.

J: You thought wrong.

Sel: Children, please...Don’t glare at me!

J: *sighs* What’s his first question?

Sel: I’m gonna ease you in, Scoots. Robyn asked the first question which is, have you ever scratched TB1?

S: No. 

J: *snorts*

S: Not on purpose. 

Sel: What did you do?

S: Nothing!

J: It was after Brains had tweaked the engines, he tried to do a quick turn, it ended up as a barrel roll and he clipped a bridge.

S: Not on purpose.

J: It never is.

S: My poor baby was severely scuffed and all you did to ‘help’ was broadcast the footage at dinner.

J: Because you blamed a crosswind.

S:There was a crosswind!

J: There was also an error in judgement but we apparently don’t talk about that.

S: No, we don’t.

Sel: Moving on, the next question asks how you felt going on your first rescue.

S: Like I might be sick. We had a lot to live up to and a lot of people depending on us. I felt nervous, slightly overwhelmed but also strangely excited. I was also convinced that Virgil was going to get himself killed.

J: Accurate, you try sitting up here watching it all happen.

Sel: Talking of Virgil, Heidi asked the next question, have you ever piloted Thunderbird Two and how did you feel about it?

S: We’re all trained in each other's crafts, you never know when you might have to take over. Honestly, it’s not that great to fly, Virgil loves it but he’s a bit different to me.

J: You mean that you are a speed freak and he’s happy to take his time.

Sel: Virgil moves at his own pace, it just happens to be something akin to a snail with luggage unless it’s an emergency.

S: Two is like flying a tank, it’s solid, it’s heavy and it doesn't corner well.

J: Neither does One when there are bridges in the way.

S: Do you want me to punch you now or later?

Sel: You do not have to resort to breaking each other but our listeners do want to know how many diving boards you have broken?

S: Two of them,before Brains had perfected the fireproofing paint for them.

J: Lies. You’ve broken three, the last one was last month when you and Virgil were firing sun loungers around the pool area with the palm tree slingshot.

Sel: Oh yeah! I forgot about that!

S: It's a shame John didn’t.

Sel: He never forgets anything.

S: Do you have any other questions?

Sel: Yeppers! What was your most memorable rescue?

S: That one with the cows.

Sel: Cows?

J: You remember, I took that call from that farmer who had half his herd swept away in that flood when the river burst its banks and they got carried along with the water and mud slide.

Sel: Oh! Yes, I remember that one. Gordon had to wade around attaching harnesses to them so they could be airlifted out a few at a time.

S: I’m sure that bull was looking at me funny.

J: It was.

S: *shudders*

Sel: SimpsonsClips asks if you have a favourite rescue? Not that any rescue is great but you know, that’s the question. 

S: When the plane that was carrying all the models for that Paris fashion show got into trouble. The pilot and co-pilot had food poisoning and both passed out at the controls. I had to jet over from One and take over the controls to guide the plane into the airport.

Sel: *rolls eyes* Why am I not surprised that that is the one you picked?

J: Because you know him?

S: *grins* They were very grateful.

Sel: Moving swiftly on, another question asked by CJ was if you could pilot any other craft for the day, which would it be, but as you’ve said that you all trained in each other’s, I’ll change it slightly to which is your favourite to pilot other than your own. 

S: Shadow, it’s small and easy to maneuver and fast enough to not bore me. I think I could carry out a rescue in that, plus I really like the bike.

Sel: And if you could pilot any craft from any other organisation, which would it be?

S: Why would I want to? They can’t compare to ours.

Sel: *sighs* John, can you give me a sensible answer please? 

J: Of course, I’d pick one of the Fireball fleet. They seem to have a lot of fun galavanting around the galaxy and meeting alien life. Imagine how Alan would act if I met an alien and he didn’t.

S: Fine, since it was my question, I think one of the Angel Interceptors of Spectrum would be fun to take a spin in.

Sel: Isabelle has a question for you too.

S: *grins* Great.

Sel: She wants to know what are your favourite and least favourite parts of a rescue?

S: *smiles drops* Why would she ask me that? I thought she loved me. 

J: Stop pouting, at least people remember you exist.

S: Yes, to then be mean to me.

Sel: Oh hush, she does love you, she just wanted to ask you a deep question so people will know you have more than two brain cells to rub together. Now answer it so we can go home some time today.

S: *crosses his arms* Fine, but I do so under protest. I’d have to say that my least favourite part of a rescue is when one of my brothers acts like an idiot, making an already dangerous situation even worse, taking a few years off my life and giving me grey hairs in the process.

J: Again, try being up here and watching.

Sel: Favourite part?

S: When it’s over and you know that you’ve made a difference to someone’s life. We don’t do it for praise, just the knowledge that the people we rescue are going home to their family is enough reward.

Sel: That and when you get given homemade cookies.

S: Those were the best cookies!

J: Stupid of you to let Virgil take them home in Two when he had Gordon with him.

S: A mistake I will not be repeating.

J: No one ever gives me cookies.

Sel: Liar! I made you cookies four days ago. 

J: And gave half of them to Alan and him! *points at Scott who grins evilly, totally unashamed that he knew exactly how to wangle food from everyone*

Sel: Two more questions! That’s all! Hold it together boys, you’re supposed to be professionals. 

(Neither S or J dignify that with a response) 

Sel: Clare asked why you don’t have a handrail on your launch platform?

S: I used to have one, but I never used it and when Brains updated Thunderbird One and in the process, the hangar, I told him it wasn't worth installing. 

J: He's far too macho and sure of himself to care about safety. 

S: Says the guy who leaves the planet in a baked bean can on a string. 

J: *snorts* Wimp. 

Sel: *pinches the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on* Boys, how old are you two? 

(They both pause) 

The answer is old enough to know better. 

S: And young enough not to care. 

J: She's going to smack you in a minute and I'm going to laugh. 

Sel: Come in guys, last question, let's keep it together, yeah? 

S: Sure, I mean, I guess we could give it a try. 

Sel: Alex asks if you are aware of the great and glorious leader, King Titan? 

S: Titan? 

J: The leader of that undersea race, the one with the little kingdom that Gordon kept telling us about when he was in WASP. 

S: Oh, yes, him. I'm aware of him, but I do not recognise his rule, we live on a private Island, that's like having our own country if we wanted to. 

J: No, it's not. 

S: Sure it is, like when a boat is in international waters, the Captain makes the rules. He can marry people, arrest people, he's got all the power. 

J: That's not how the Island works, Scott. 

S: It is if you believe it is. Power of positive thinking. 

J: I thought Gordon was supposed to be the idiotic one, but you just moved up to top place. 

Sel: *groans, head in her hands* I literally give up with this entire family. People think living on the Island is like being on permanent vacation, when really I need a holiday away from you all to get over it. 

J: Hey! You're supposed to love me. 

Sel: I do!

S: And me! 

Sel: I do love you. 

S: Then what's the problem? We can all come, make it a family vacation. 

J: Not a snowballs chance in hell. 

Sel: Can someone drop me off at my house? I think I need a quiet night in. 

J: You can't, we've got Dad's father's day dinner to get to soon. 

Sel: I can escape after. 

( loud squealing noise as Scott drags her chair closer) 

S: *slings his arm around her* You don't mean that. 

J: She would if she was sensible. 

S: If she was sensible she'd have married me instead. 

Sel: *slumps* I'm doomed to a life full of idiots. 

J: I did warn you. EOS, cut feed


	7. Live From Five Seven

S: Hello! Welcome back to the Live from Five Podcast as usual I’m joined by this gorgeous thing…

J: Hello.

S: And obviously, he’s thrilled to be here, as usual. 

J: I never asked for this.

S: And yet, here we are. We’re also joined, by popular demand, by Virgil.

V: Hey Guys, great to be here. What do I have to do? 

S: Great to have you. You don’t have to do anything but sit there, look pretty and answer some questions. 

V: I can do that.

S: And hopefully be better behaved than Scott was.

V: I can definitely do that.

J: It wouldn’t be hard.

S: Mean!

J: True.

S: But still mean. 

J: You always defend him.

S: Not as much as I defend you.

V: I don’t do anything that needs defending.

S: No you don’t, you’re perfect.

V: *grins happily*

J: I’m not saying a word.

S: You’re perfect too, but we’re not here to talk about you.

J: Thank God.

S: As our listeners will know, the world is still a little messed up, we’re still limited in the places we can go and the rescues we can attend, so we don’t really have much to report that isn’t negative in some way, so we thought, what could be better than bringing in our favourite people for a chat.

J: You mean you thought it.

S: Sure, whatever, shall we jump into some questions?

V: Sure.

S: You good? Need another coffee or something?

V: I’m good.

S: He’s so easy to please, he can come back.

V: I hear that a lot. I’m pretty easy going.

S: Unproblematic.

V: Laid back.

S: Chilled out artistic type.

J: Where are you two actually going with this?

*S & V look at each other. Virgil shrugs.*

S: We got no idea. First question! Robyn said, as you are often paired up, who is your favourite brother to work with and who is the best travelling companion?

V: Oh, straight in with the hard questions there.

S: Compared to some of the others, this was the best place to start, believe me.

J: *leans over to sneak a look at her tablet, scrolling quickly* She’s right.

V: *takes a breath* Okay. I’m often paired up with Gordon and he’s great. All my brothers are.

J: Suck up.

V: Just telling the truth. I work with Gordon and Scott the most, I’d say Gordon is the easiest to work with as he’s pretty easy going too, whereas Scott is more likely to bark out orders and get stressed out easily.

J: That’s true.

S: That boy lives on stress and too little sleep.

V: What was the other part of the question?

S: *checks her tablet* Who is the best travelling companion? 

V: Out of those I work with the most, Scott. Gordon is a little full on sometimes and his jokes can wear thin after about twenty minutes, Scott is a bit quieter. If it’s just travelling anywhere, then I’d take John.

J: Thank you.

S: Why? 

J: Did you have to sound so surprised?

S: I was not surprised! I was curious.

V: Because he’s less hassle, he never gets car sick and if you pick the right music, he’ll occasionally duet with you. Plus we can have some great conversations.

S: I’d take Scott.

J: Why?

S: Did you have to sound so surprised?

J: I wasn’t surprised, I was insulted.

S: Never go on a road trip with your husband, it’s an unwritten rule. Plus, Scott will do car karaoke with me and you won’t, though apparently your lie of ‘I don’t sing’ has just come to light. Plus, Scott knows all the best places to eat.

V: That’s true, he does know the best food stops.

J: Okay, so I don’t like your type of music, I was trying to spare your feelings.

S: And I couldn’t suffer yours for an entire journey. 

J: True. Alright, take Scott, I’ll go with Virg, we’ll meet you there.

V: And see if Gordon and Alan make it past the first rest stop.

S: Sounds legit. Moving on, Rebecca asked two things, the first is *reads directly from the tablet* What is your skin care regime, you’re always so handsome.

V: *grins but there is a slight red flush to his cheeks that is utterly adorable* I don’t think handsome is the right word but I don’t crack mirrors so I’ll take it. I don’t have a skincare regime really, I use a gentle soap and if it’s been a harsh weather day I might smooth on some moisturizer, that’s about it. Oh, and every time I get a haircut now I let them shape my eyebrows, apparently they were getting a little bushy, Gordon kept saying he couldn’t see my eyes under them. 

S: You also use a wet razor when you can and always put on sunscreen.

V: That’s true, I do. That and we all quit smoking, that helps too.

S: For the second part of the question she wanted to know if you are working on any piano concertos or art projects?

V: I’m never not working on something, it’s how I relax. If I’m not painting, I’ll probably be sketching or taking photos for reference. As for music, that is more of an organic thing, I might hear something and be inspired by it, or dream a little piece and I’ll jot it down, sometimes they develop into other things, sometimes they merge and other times they just stay as a tiny thing. They can be whatever they want to be.

J: *looks at her screen again* Matthew would like to know what your favourite pod vehicle is.

V: Hum, that’s a hard one too, because they are all great but probably the Mole.

S: Why?

V: Because it’s funny to watch people's faces when you vanish into the ground in less than ten seconds, but even funnier when you come up backwards. Other than that, the Dragonfly pod is very handy, though Gordon tends to use the pod vehicles more than I do.

S: Jenny has asked two questions too, the first is did you dance with Lady Penelope at Paradise Peaks? And the second is did you get any compensation from the Navy after the Sentinel shot you down?

V: To the first question, yes, and so did Alan and Cass, we’re friends, you can dance with friends, in fact sometimes it’s safer because you know you can trust your friends not to get fresh with you. 

J: Well, you do like to dance.

S: Makes sense, I’ve danced with all of you too.

V: I’ll dance with anyone.

S: What about Navy compensation?

V: As for the second, no, but it’s kind of a grey area, we don't sue them, they don’t sue us if things get broken during a rescue. 

J: Sometimes, it’s better to not draw attention to ourselves. *takes the tablet to read through the questions* How many dressing gowns do you have? Why is everyone obsessed with our nightwear?

V: I have four.

J: They ask if you buy off the rack or custom, why that’s important I don’t know.

V: Said as someone who doesn’t have these shoulders. They are off the rack but they are from a specialist shop.

S: *leans over to look* Clothes again and you’re asked where did you learn your dress sense from?

V: Where does anyone? *shrugs* Either from people they admire or just from things they like and what they feel comfortable in. As you so kindly pointed out a while ago, I seem to be incapable of staying clean, so I stopped wearing nice clothes the majority of the time and just slob around now. 

S: People have commented on how they often see you guys wearing the same clothes or seeming to swap, why is that?

V: *looks at John*

J: Mostly because we’re adults now and don’t have little labels with our names on in our clothes. Things get mixed up in the laundry, we all take turns and just put a wash load on when it’s full and everyone claims their things or Grandma attempts to organise things and often puts them in the wrong piles.

V: And we have what we call the community pile down in the locker rooms, just shirts, T-shirts, sweat pants, shorts and things that don’t belong to anyone and are there if you have to shower and change directly after a rescue rather than later that day. Some rescues are dirtier than others. 

J: It’s only special items, like things that were gifts or that we’ve bought for a reason that are out of bounds.

S: Unless you’re me, because anything is up for grabs for me to steal.

J: That is the truest thing you’ve said all week.

V: Can I have my sweater back by the way?

S: No. Moving on! Rob asked if you ever get fed up with doing all the work?

J: *snorts*

V: I don’t do all the work, not anymore anyway. It used to be more one-sided but not so much now that we have more portable equipment and Scott doesn't have to find someone to lug that mobile control unit around for him. He joins in a lot more now, we all do.

S: What goes on inside the pods when no one is looking?

V: Maintenance mostly, and clean up. Quite boring really.

J: Are we ignoring the time it was turned into a roller disco?

V: Yes, yes we are.

S: Moving on, Paul asked if Thunderbird Two has ever tipped over because 3 of its 4 legs haven’t deployed like his Dinky?

V: What’s a Dinky? *looks at John*

J: *shrugs* Alan?

V: Alan doesn’t have four legs though.

J: True.

V: I’m going to have to go with no. 

J: SimpsonsClips asked what you would do if you won a million pounds on the lottery?

V: Give it to charity, we don’t need it. Not that we play the lottery, Dad said that we shouldn't take away an opportunity from someone else who might actually need it.

S: I have literally no idea how you are so pure.

V: *shrugs* Don’t do drugs kids. 

J: Are we nearly done yet? 

S: Almost, we’ve got another clothes question here, this time about your uniforms. It’s from Simon and he asks if you ever get tired of...oh.

V: Tired of what?

S: I don’t really want to finish this one.

J: *sighs and takes the tablet back* he asks if we get fed up with people asking for a burger and fries with every rescue. 

V: *clears his throat* Why do you think we updated?

J: Five is a long way to call for take out.

V: Just because Scott can do twenty minutes or less and it's free.

J: We’ve heard them all.

V: Mostly from Gordon.

S: O...K then. CJ asks how you manage to pull off that unique look to the camera thing you do?

V: What thing?

S: You know *attempts to do the thing* that thing. 

V: That’s a thing?

J: Not when she does it.

S: Hey! *smacks at his shoulder lightly* Be nice!

J: *ducks out of smacking range, trying not to laugh* 

V: I still don’t know what the thing is. What do I do? Is it weird? Should I apologise?

J: She means how you always seem to look at the camera like that man off that old show.

V: Which show?

J: Something about an office I think, I know the meme.

V: Oh, that! That’s not my fault, it’s because the camera is usually on the comm unit and we record for training and liability purposes, so whenever you guys are talking to me and someone says something stupid I’m always looking that way.

J: I never say stupid things.

V: No, but it’s usually you that’s giving the orders too, so I’m looking at you too.

S: But it’s not just that, it’s more of a slightly sceptical, praying for patience, mixed with wondering if you have time to pick up a burger and a little ‘dang I’m looking good’.

V: Completely unintentional, I guess when you got it, you got it.

S: Yay, last question, you guys ready?

J: Very ready, I want this over with.

V: I don’t mind, I’m having a great time!

S: See? That’s the attitude we need.

J: Feel free to make the podcast Live from Two instead.

S: Don’t tempt me.

V: That would be great! Can we do that one day? As a special location edition?

S: We so could!

J: Can you do it soon so I can get a little quiet?

S: Sure, but just for that, next time we’re up here, we’re interviewing Gordon.

J: *swears silently under his breath*

S: Last question. Rob asks does Operation Cover-Up work across the whole house? Does every picture change including the picture of Thunderbird Two above your bed? 

V: How does anyone know what’s above my bed?

S: I have no idea, it’s kinda weird, right?

J: The answer is no, only the pictures in the communal areas of the house. Our rooms are private and visitors don’t go in them.

S: But what about if someone comes over and sees them?

V: I don’t make a habit of having random people in my bedroom so it’s not an issue. We only have trusted people so close to us that they can come to the Island. It’s not like we have that much time for dating anyway.

J: Are we done now? 

S: *check the tablet* we are, but I’m going to throw out a quick fire round.

J: *groans.*

S: Time me, one minute. You ready, big guy?

J: *sets a timer*

V: I was born ready.

J: And...go.

S: Favourite colour?

V: Green, obviously.

S: Pizza or burger?

V: Pizza.

S: Cold or hot?

V: Hot.

S: Bath or shower?

V: Shower.

S: Rock or Pop?

V: Light Rock, more ballards really.

J: Twenty seconds.

S: Describe yourself in three words?

V: Strong, Loyal, Creative.

S: Biggest pet peeve?

V: People who lie.

J: Five seconds.

S: Erm...If you were an anim- no, if you could live anywhere where would it be?

V: Italy.

J: Times up.

S: Woow, we’re done. You are awesome.

J: He’s one of my less annoying siblings.

S: Thanks for joining us and answering fan questions.

V: Thanks for having me.

S: You’re welcome back any time.

J: Would you two like a moment alone?

S: *pretends to think about it* I don’t know...are we good?

V: *ponders* I think so, maybe.

J: EOS, cu-

S: Come back next month when we’ll have another Tracy joining us! Thanks for listening.

J: Cut feed.


	8. Live from Five Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This month they have the splishy splashy one joining them to answer fan questions. Wish them luck.

Selene: Hellllllo everybody!

John: Did you have to yodel that right in my ear?

S: Yep. 

J: You’re in one of those moods today, aren’t you?

S: *nods*

J: *sighs, sounding defeated already*

S: We have Gordon with us today! 

Gordon: Hi, guys!

J: *flinches at the volume* Please don’t tell me that you two are just going to yell throughout this entire thing?

G: We might do.

S: It’s a distinct possibility, not gonna lie.

J: Joy. Can we get on with it please?

S: So impatient.

G: Yeah, sometimes you gotta take your time, Johnny. It’s a good thing I’m here so we can slow things down a little, I’m sure your girl will appreciate that.

S: Moving swiftly on. 

J: No, hold on a second! I feel like I need to defend myself here, moving on implies that you agree with that statement and that there is nothing to argue when there most certainly is. 

S: *points at the screen that clearly says ‘LIVE BROADCAST’*

G: *starts to laugh* 

J: *clears throat* 

S: I wouldn’t worry, our listeners are fully aware of the hula hoop lesson and know who is superior.

J: That’s very true. Moving on.

S: Gordy, why don’t you introduce yourself to our listeners.

G: They already know me.

J: *rolls eyes*

S: Stop being difficult. You have two choices, you can do your own introduction or one of us will do it for you.

G: I’m Gordon Tracy and I’m the only aquanaut on the team, which makes me the best by default. I’m a fun-loving guy who tries not to take anything, other than work, seriously if he can help it. I pilot the little yellow sub that everyone adores.

S: There, that wasn’t so hard, was it? Are you ready for your first question?

G: Sure. 

S: I’ll ease you in. Rebecca has sent in a few questions.

G: Great!

S: The first one asks, what is your favourite swimming style?

G: Well, for competitions it’s butterfly, that’s the one I won my medal in. But for general fitness and rescues I usually go freestyle. It’s quick and dirty but it gets the job done and is the fastest, although I’ll use any method I have to if the space is tight or I’m swimming with someone.

S: Sticking with the swimming theme, CJ asked, *pauses to read from her tablet* Did you ever get any kind of revenue from the Aqualung Procedure you invented?

G: *grins* Nah, I was offered it, of course, but it’s not like we need it, is it? It goes straight to charity.

S: Which one?

G: It’s in association with the WASP foundation for families affected by marine accidents, like if they lose a family member or their livelihood or some other disaster. 

S: Awww, that’s so great.

G: *preens* I know I am.

S: I...I didn’t actually say that…

J: Give up, his ego is as loud and obnoxious as his shirts.

G: At least my shirts are stylin’.

S: Moving swiftly on…

G: You said that once already.

S: What, I’m limited now?

G: *shrugs* Well, you could be a little original.

J: *whips the tablet out of her hand, hastily scanning the list* Jonathan wants to know how you got out of the cave collapse in the underground river when you rescued that reporter, Ned Cook and his cameraman, Joe.

G: Oh, that was easy. It looked worse than it was. The rocks stirred up a lot of silt and debris from the river floor but there weren't actually that many on top of Four, although there was a number surrounding her, far too many to push aside. I used the same drill that I used to drill into that sub in the bay in Monte Carlo, then instead of knock out gas, I injected in a small amount of liquid explosive that Brains had been working on and remotely detonated it to create a controlled explosion. This split the bigger rocks and crumbed the smaller ones so I was able to use Four’s engine to slowly push through the rubble and out.

S: Genius.

G: I know! Why do you always sound so surprised?

J: Because she was the one that had to rescue you when you got your little toe caught in the pool filter last week.

S: That’s partly the reason, yes, but not all of it. It’s mostly because I know I’d just panic and freak out and flail a lot, my brain would go to mush and I’d barely be able to remember my own name, let alone get out of a situation like that. You’re all pretty awesome when you aren't being dumbasses.

G: *looks at John* Is that her version of a compliment?

J: *nods* It’s the best you’re going to get.

S: *narrows her eyes at them both and takes the tablet back* On the subject of rescues, here’s another from Rebecca who asked what has been your most daring rescue?

G: *settles back in his chair, propping his feet up on one of the screen consoles* That’s a hard question I- *jolts and wobbles on his chair when John kicks his feet down, but recovers quickly, acting as if nothing happened* I think that I’d have to say the time that Alan and I had to go to Europa to rescue Buddy and Ellie Pendergast. Do you know them? They are so awesome, I’m like, a huge fan! Buddy only has one foot but no one knows how he lost it, because he tells a different story every time someone asks, so I just had to ask and I-

J: *groans, dropping his head into his hand* I don’t socialise and even I know that you can’t just ask someone why they are missing a foot.

S: Animals, you’re all animals. I live with animals. 

G: *snorts* Nah, it’s cool, Buddy likes it when people ask, it’s kinda his thing. 

S: I’m probably going to regret asking this, but what answer did he give you?

G: Oh, he told me that he got it trapped under a rock in the Amazon rainforest and that it was broken at the ankle. He must have passed out from the fall and the pain and woke up to a plague of Amazon Bamboo rats chewing on his leg. He tried to pull away but his leg came off at the ankle, he said that he wasn’t too annoyed at them because it allowed him to crawl away and eventually reach civilization so he hoped they enjoyed the meal.

S & J : *just staring at him in horror*

G: I hate to say it, but I think he was lying to me.

J: I sincerely hope so.

G: I’d love to know how it really happened though.

J: It would be quite simple to look into his medical records-

S: John Glenn Ray Tracy, you will do no such thing!

G: Uh oh, you got the full name. You’re in trouble now. *grins like a cheshire cat, enjoying the chaos he always brings everywhere he goes*

J: *coughs innocently* Do you want to tell the listeners more about that rescue? And why it was so hard?

G: *still grinning* Mostly because of the conditions, if it had been on earth, rather than one of Jupiter’s moons, it would have been an easy ride, in and out, nothing to it. But it was made infinitely harder by the flexing of the moon’s mass creating the strongest most unpredictable currents I’ve ever experienced. Usually, my baby girl is the easiest thing to pilot but that had me using all of my considerable skills. *buffs his nails on his shirt* Not that I couldn’t do it.

S: Were the currents the only problem?

G: While we were in the water, yes, but it was the getting out of the water that was the hardest part. You see, Jupiter is just a frozen wasteland, it's covered in this thick crust of ice that's miles thick, so Brains had to add a heated drill to her nose that we used to burrow through the ice with. But the currents and the added weight of the drill made Four almost impossible to steer and we were bounced around so much that we lost the drill. By the time we located the Pendergasts and got back to our bore hole it had frozen over.

S: Damn, that must have been scary.

G: I’m not gonna lie and say it wasn’t. If we hadn’t have found a way out we’d have died down there. The only ones capable of mounting a rescue were us and we were already stuck. Luckily, Alan had a great idea to use the geysers, riding them to the surface and out. We only just made it but only just doesn't matter. It’s the surviving that counts.

S: That was actually pretty deep.

G: Hey, I can be deep!

S: You sure you're feeling okay?

G: I’m fine.

S: Okay, okay, next question then, Steeve asked… oh, erm…

G: What? What did he ask?

J: *leans over, resting his chin on her shoulder to see what was on her screen* Marina or Lady Penelope?

G: What about them?

J: I think the question is referring to which woman you would prefer in a romantic sense. 

G: *chokes* They do know that Penelope is my girlfriend, right? Why would I think about anyone else? Marina is a friend I used to work with, nothing more. Honestly, she’s a bit quiet for me, you know I like someone I can have a joke with. Besides, Marina has this weird thing going on with Troy and Atlanta that I don’t want to think about too closely. 

S: Talking of Troy...

G: Do we have to?

S: Rebecca also asked if you had any gossip on him from your WASP days?

G: *laughs* A better question would be what gossip don’t I have.

S: *raises an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue*

G: *ticking off on his fingers* He once lost the keys to Stingray, he left his cap in Marina’s room and only realised when Atlanta asked where it was and Marina handed it over. He accidentally used the wrong shipping address sending something for Atlanta to Marina, he was so tired one night that a single glass of wine made him fall asleep in his spaghetti, he lost a bet to Phones and had to hand over all his electronics for a week--that was eye opening. He also lost a bet to me and had to give up his ticket to a concert which annoyed Atlanta so much because she never really liked me and she had to sit next to me there. He also forgot some birthdays, said happy birthday to the wrong person and don’t get me started on the new lieutenant that took my place when I was leaving. I had to help train her and Troy was already sniffing around, which meant that Marina and Atlanta were on their guard already. 

J: That… sounds like a lot of trouble to go through just to date.

S: *smacks John lightly on the shoulder* See? Now aren’t you grateful that you don’t have to worry about that anymore?

J: About dating more than two people at once? I can’t say it was ever on my list of things to do but I’m not one to judge.

S: *smacks him again*

G: I’d shut up if I was you, bro.

J: What did I say? *fends off her hands*

G: *coughs*

S: It’s not what you said, it’s what you didn’t say!

G: *coughs louder*

J: That makes no sense!

G: *coughs likes he’s about to throw up* John, can you get me a drink?

J: *distracted* Huh? 

G: Can you get me a drink?

J: Get it yourself.

G: I can’t.

J: Why?

G: Don’t you remember that you said I wasn’t allowed to wander around your ship on my own because I can’t be trusted not to touch thingsI shouldn't? That’s why. *forces another cough* 

J: *sighs* Fine. *gets to his feet*

G: Any more questions?

S: Smooth dude, real smooth.

G: I know.

S: Isabelle asked what you do when you’re not out on rescues.

G: *grins* I like her, she’s nice to me. Unlike some I can mention. 

S: Focus babe.

G: Oh, yeah, sorry. What do I do when not on a rescue? Same as anyone else I guess. Hang out in the pool, binge watch some TV, catch up on my reading.

J: *places a metal cup down in front of him* Please don’t spill it.

G: I’m not that much of an idiot, but thanks. *takes a delicate sip*

S: Anything else you do? 

G: I’m involved in a few conservation and research projects, they take up plenty of my free time too, as well as the charities I do fundraising for.

S: See, you are a smart boy when you want to be.

G: You doubted me? *clutches his heart* I’m hurt! Shocked and hurt.

J: No, you aren’t. You secretly want people to think you’re less intelligent so you don’t get asked questions or made to help with anything you don’t want to.

S: *shocked face* Genius! Why don’t I do that?

J: *shrugs*

G: Any more questions? I’m loving this.

J: You, loving being both the focus of attention and a pain in the behind? I never would have guessed. 

G: I thought I was your favourite brother? Why are you being mean to me? *shuffles closer to the witchy one for a hug*

S: *wraps her arms around him* Be nice to him.

J: I’m being conspired against in my own craft and I’m the mean one?

G: Yep! *rests his head on her shoulder to read her tablet* What’s a good waterproof sunscreen?

S: Kath wants to know.

G: It’s not available in the shops, I’m afraid. It’s standard WASP issue, but I know a guy.

S: It’s Fisher, isn’t it?

G: It might be. *mouths to John* How does she do that? She knows everything.

J: *shrugs, he has absolutely no clue, all he knows is that it’s uncanny and he has no secrets left*

S: Georgina asks, would you rather be a merman or a full fish?

G: Oh, merman, no question. I could never give up human food, I could never give up my celery crunch bars or being able to speak. As a merman I’d have the best of both worlds, I could swim without breathing apparatus but if I got Virgil to carry me inside I could still hang out on the couch with you guys.

S: In mythology, merpeople had tails in the water and legs out of it once they dried off, so you could walk yourself in without resorting to a Chonk taxi. 

G: Even better, sign me up, baby!

S: Last question, Isabelle wants to know how your beer turned out.

G: Oh! My beer! It was great! 

J: It actually wasn’t that bad. Of course, we let cast-iron stomach Scott try it first, but once he didn’t die of alcohol poisoning we figured it was safe enough.

G: Everyone is so ready to doubt my abilities, I’m really feeling very picked on. *grins at John when the witch pats his head* I can concentrate, I can pay attention to things if I want to. The beer was pretty easy to start and it was fun to watch it froth and bubble in its jars.

J: Is that it, are we finally done?

G: Yep!

S: No.

*G & J shoot a look her way*

S: Quick-fire questions, say the first thing that comes to mind, you have to be honest, two minutes on the clock, are you ready?

G: Cool! Yeah, I’m ready, hit me!

J: *cuffs him around the ear* 

G: Hey!

S: No hitting him! *hugs Gordon some more. He leans in closer, knowing he’s protected*

J: You hit me, plus, he actually asked for it. I didn’t.

S: *doesn’t dignify that with a response* Can you start the timer, babe?

J: Okay, starting in 5...4...3...2...1 *hits start*

S: Favourite colour.

G: Aquamarine or Yellow.

S: Food you couldn’t live without.

G: Pizza.

S: Morning person or night owl?

G: Morning person, I’m the sunshine of the family.

J: *snorts in disbelief but doesn’t comment*

S: Music to work out to?

G: Something with a good beat like dance music.

S: Guilty pleasure?

G: Into the Unknown with Buddy and Ellie * he spots John’s raised eyebrow* ABBA songs.

S: Brother you’d pick to go on a road trip with?

G: Virgil, he likes to drive, I like to sleep.

S: What colour is your toothbrush?

G: Blue

S: If you were an ice-cream flavour, what would you be?

G: Mint choc-chip, I’m well liked but not a standard choice.

J: Thirty seconds left

S: What’s the first thing you do when you get up?

G: Swim, then shower and breakfast.

S: Where is the worst place to get stuck?

G: In the lounge with Grandma when she's watching her shows.

J: *snorts out a laugh*

S: Describe yourself in three words.

G: Funny, cheerful and handsome.

J: *rolls his eyes*

S: What is the one thing you own that you wish you didn’t?

G: That thing that sits on my- *timer beeps*

J: Time’s up.

S: You did so well!

G: Of course I did.

J: So modest.

S: Thank you for joining us today, you were brilliant.

G: Thank you for having me. *stretches in his chair* I had a great time. *catches the metal cup with his arm and knocks it over.*

J: Gordon! 

G: Oops?

S: *sighs deeply* We’ll be back next month with Alan, hopefully it’ll be less chaotic. EOS, cut feed, please.


	9. Live from... Two?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It seems there has been a change of location...

LIVE FROM…TWO?

S: Well, this is different. *wiggles in the passenger seat to get comfy*

J: Yep.

A: I can’t believe you don't trust me!

J: Would you if you were in my boots? 

A: *shrugs*

J: Don’t take it personally, I don’t trust any of you now.

V: I do.

S: Can we move this on? We haven't got all day. 

V: It’s fine, there’s no rush, we can stay on auto pilot for hours.

S: Really not the point, babe. 

V: Sorry, just trying to help.

J: *snorts in amusement*

S: I have no idea why you are laughing, you're not even here. 

J: *his holographic form reclines as he does, getting comfortable, floating peacefully and ALONE in the Zero-G of the monitoring station on Five* I'm laughing because I'm sensible enough to be here and you aren't. 

S: *narrows her eyes* Moving on. Hello everyone and welcome to Life from Fi-

J: You're not in Five. 

S: Will you stop! 

J: *holds his hands up in an innocent gesture*

S: *slumps, regretting it already* We're live from the big green machine, piloted by the ever awesome, Virgil-

V: Hey, everyone *waves from his pilot’s seat even though the camera can’t see him*

S:...And we’re joined by the pilot of the red rocket, who I will be firing questions at until his little brain explodes. Want to introduce yourself?

A: Erm...hi, I’m Alan, and now I’m worried about my brain exploding.

J: You get used to the feeling.

S: I swear, you are cruising for a bruising, spaceman.

V: He’s only feeling brave because he’s not here.

J: Or I simply trust that she wouldn’t hurt me.

S: Misplaced trust, dude.

A: Should I be scared?

S: No, ignore them. Let’s get into the questions. You good? You ready?

A: I think so.

S: Okay, Emma asks: If you could pilot any other Thunderbird which would it be and why?

V: People ask that question a lot, don't they?

J: They do, yes.

S: This is Alan’s first question and he hasn’t even had a chance to say anything! Let the boy talk.

A: I’m trained in all of them but Thunderbird One would be my choice, I took over from Scott that time with the Seascape rig rescue and found it quite fun.

S: Thank you for giving me a sensible answer.

A: *grins adorably* You’re welcome.

S: Next question, this will be a combination question.

A: OK…

S: Matthew asked which of your brothers do you like working with the most and Emma asked who is the most annoying out of your brothers and Kayo.

A: Oh, that’s mean. That’s a mean, mean question.

J: Most of them are.

S: *glares at his hologram* Why are you getting involved if you aren't even here?

A: *snorts* It’s John, he’s always involved when he isn't here, he knows everything.

V: Would you say he’s the most annoying?

J: Hey, no leading the witness.

S: He is not on trial! For the love of…*takes a deep breath, holds for the count of five then lets it out slowly...how was it possible that this was even harder when their location change was supposed to make things better?* Allie, ignore them. Just answer your questions, only if you want to obviously. If you don't like one, don’t answer it, and then we’ll go and get some ice cream without your brothers. 

V: I didn’t do anything. Also, I’m the one doing all the flying and I’m the one that would have to take you for the ice cream, so I have to come by default.

J: You’re on autopilot over the Atlantic ocean…

S: Allie…

A: Well I was going to say that I think I most like working with John because I don’t get to see him enough and normally we’re both in space, but I’m starting to rethink that.

J: You’re not too terrible to work with, not like Gordon.

S: *closes eyes, praying for strength*

V: So, who’s the most annoying, Al?

A: At this moment, John.

S: Accurate.

J: I resent that, I’m just trying to help.

A: But on a normal day I’d have to say Scott.

V: *whistles*

J: Accurate.

S: Why would you say Scott? Not that I’m arguing, I’m just asking because these two idiots interrupted you again.

A: Only because he has a habit of worrying too much. John is all up in our business-

J: Hey! It’s my job, do you think I like seeing what some of you get up to when you think no one is around?

S: Can you not? Finish your answer, boo.

A: That was about all I had to say, Scott worries a lot and he can get a bit annoying with it.

S: That probably answer’s Emma’s last question which was: Is Scott really the mother hen?

*A, V and J all snort in amusement and nod hard*

S: I’d take that as a yes. I personally have seen him called the smother hen and the smother brother. He definitely needs to chill a little more.

J: What other questions are there? *pulls up a screen and with two clicks has accessed her tablet, eyes quickly scanning the words* Heidi asked why are you such a bad tempered little beggar. *can’t help but laugh*

A: What? I’m not bad tempered! *bottom lip pouts out* Do people seriously think I’m bad tempered?

S: Of course you aren’t and they don’t, you’re the sweetest, most adorable sunshine baby in the world.

V: You haven’t tried to wake him up in the morning.

S: Vicious lies!

J: Total truth.

S: Moving on. Isabelle asked if you have a hidden talent.

A: Other than that thing I do with my thumb that you hate?

S: *shudders in revulsion* Yes, other than that.

J: The ability to blow things up without trying?

S: John!

J: I’m helping.

S: Then stop helping!

V: The ability to clear a room just by taking off his sneakers?

S: Not you too…*drops head into her hands*

A: *crosses his arms* Well, if you want to answer all my questions by being mean, go right ahead.

S: Don’t listen to them, you give whatever answer you want to. *stretches a hair tie between her fingers and pings it at Virgil* 

V: So you’re using projectiles now? *bats it away before it hits him*

A: I think my hidden talent is the ability to grow up normal with big brothers like these.

V: You wound me, Al.

S: Truth hurts, love.

V: What’s the next question, John?

S: Why are you getting him involved, are my interview skills not good enough for you?

V: *shrugs* It’s his podcast too.

S: He’s not even here and usually I have to bully him into doing it.

A: This has stopped being about me again, hasn’t it?

S: Yes, you’re right, I’m sorry. *mutes John and throws a warning look at Virgil*

J: *gapes in shock at her sheer audacity*

S: Let’s move on. Georgina asked if you would ever wear socks with sandals.

A: *makes a face* Eww, no. I’ve seen Dad do that and it’s not a good look, plus it feels weird on my toes. He has those things they call Birkenstocks and for the longest time I thought they were called Birkensocks because he always wore them that way, I thought they were designed that way, like socks were a requirement, it blew my mind when I found out they weren't. He said he liked them because they reminded him of his youth, they had these things called Hipsters then and Dad was one of them.

S: Seriously? Jeff, a hipster?

V: Oh yeah, we’ve seen the pictures, he had a really big beard and smoothed back hair that was shinier than Scott’s. 

S: You will show me when we get back, that’s an order not a suggestion.

J: *easily unmutes himself* He said he also had a tattoo but we’ve never seen it so either he’s lying or it’s in a place that none of us want to know about, let alone see.

S: Wow, that’s it, mind blown, we can all go home now, nothing else can compare.

A: Really? I was just getting into it.

S: I was joking, boo. 

A: Oh.

V: He does not get sarcasm, which is hard to believe since he grew up with John as a brother.

S: I swear, you guys can’t go two minutes without verbally abusing each other.

*all three shrug again*

J: There’s a lot of questions here about uniforms.

A: There are? Like what?

J: Lauren asked which uniform is your favorite.

A: I only have one uniform.

V: I think she meant the old style jumpsuits or our new gear.

A: New stuff, obviously. Those jumpsuits were not a good look.

V: They weren’t that bad.

J: They were comfortable enough.

A: But the hats, they weren’t good.

S: I liked them.

A:That’s because you’re weird.

S: I resent that.

J: You always say that you can’t argue with the truth.

S: Once again I find myself regretting ever meeting you.

J: Lies *lays back again with a smug grin* but feel free to continue to delude yourself.

S: Or I’ll just ask another question. Steeve asked who keeps your suits so clean? I think that’s directed at all of you though.

A: Grandma.

V: *nods* Grandma and Brains. Grandma won’t let us turn up to a rescue already dirty. Though honestly our suits are pretty hard wearing and mostly stain resistant, Brains invented the materials that way. They have to protect us in a lot of conditions so need to be able to repel most things.

S: Huh, well there ya go. Still on the uniform questions, Robyn asks why you are the only one to have armour on your uniform.

A: *crosses his arms again* 

J: One word…

V: Scott.

S: Ah.

A: He wouldn’t let me go out on a rescue until I was as protected as I could be. I’m pretty sure that if Brains had invented the RAD by then, Scott would have just stuck me in the middle of that bubble and rolled me out of the danger zone by remote control.

V: I could totally see that happening.

S: Me too actually. OK, moving on. Robyn also asked: If you did take a college course, what would you study?

A: Oh, that’s actually a good question.

S: Yeah, we do get them sometimes.

A: I don’t really know. I think I’d probably like to do something astronomy based, but then I really like gaming too, so I might do a game development course. I kinda had this idea that it would be great to do a game based on some of our rescues that kids could play so that they learnt what to do in an emergency and how to stay safe to prevent them.

*s, J and V all stare at him*

A: What? 

V: That’s actually a really good idea. 

A: Well, duh.

V: I bet you and John could do that now if you worked together, you could put it out as an educational game.

J: We definitely could.

A: Huh, I guess that could be kinda cool. It was just this random idea I had while talking to Brandon the other day, but working on it together could be fun.

S: Aww, you guys are awesome.

J: See? I knew you weren’t really regretting meeting me.

S: Jury’s out.

J: I thought this wasn’t a trial?

S: *rolls her eyes so far back she can see her brain* Lauren asked: Does John really like sharing his ‘bird with you or does he complain at you every time you swap shifts?

A: He usually complains that I didn’t do something the right way or that I’ve left a mess, but as for not wanting me there, I don’t know, ask him.

J: I don’t like anyone stomping around my craft, they always move things and make the life support smell funny. But, I’m wise enough to know that breaks are important-

S: Lies! You hate taking breaks, that’s why we had to make them mandatory. 

J: I said I was wise enough to know, not that I liked or accepted that knowledge.

V: *snorts* Ain't that the truth.

S: Talking of Five and as an offshoot, space in general, Clare asked which brother would you least like to be stuck in space with and why?

A: I -

S: Oh, and she adds that binge watching doesn’t count.

A: Oh...OK, then I guess...Scott.

S: Really, why?

A: Because I’ve been on a road trip with him and all he did was talk about my future, what my ambitions were, ask me about every aspect of my life and try to give me his words of wisdom which often come in the form of stories that I really didn’t want to listen to. If I was stuck in space with him I’d have no secrets left.

J: You have secrets?

A: Not anymore I don't! You and Scott have made it your life mission to know everything.

J: We just want to keep an eye on you and make sure you’re alright, it’s what big brothers do.

V: Virgil doesn’t!

V: That’s because I’m usually too busy patching you up.

A: *slumps a little in his chair* That’s true.

S: Moving on, we’ve only got *counts through her list* six questions left.

A: Six? Man, this is going to take forever.

S: It won’t, we’ll go quickly and I won't force you into a quick-fire bonus round.

A: Quick-fire bonus round? Am I getting scored on how well I answer these? 

S: No, of course not.

A: Then that actually sounds kinda fun.

S: *sighs, shaking her head* OK, we can do that too. But let’s chug on so we actually get home at some point today. Isabelle asked what is the worst and best thing about being the youngest? 

A: *huffs out a breath* Oh, tough one. I guess the worst is when I get underestimated and not so much by my brothers anymore, they have gotten a lot better, but by people I go out to rescue, they always assume I don’t know what I’m doing.

V: We have faith in you, we know that you are more than capable of doing your job as well as any of us.

J: Yeah, you make us proud every time you go out.

A: *blushes a little and keeps quiet, he’s never great with compliments*

S: *dives in to rescue him* What’s the best part about being the youngest?

A: *smiles gratefully* Probably the fact that I have very little responsibility, all the big jobs are already taken and I get more down time than the others. Plus, people tend to forget that I’m old enough to do things for myself and just do them for me, like feeding me, that’s always nice.

S: Talking of feeding, that leads us into Tessa’s questions. She says: there must be food stashes around the island in really obscure places for when Grandma Tracy cooks. I won’t ask you to reveal yours but have you ever “accidentally” found one of your brothers’ and if so, whose and where was it?

A: We all know John has a stash in Five, that’s not even a secret.

J: It pays to spend a lot of your time living off planet, if only for the fact that my snacks stay safe and Grandma knows that I have them and can’t say anything about it.

A: Virgil, I know you keep some in pod six and I found two bags of chips and some chocolate in the weights cupboard in the gym that I’m assuming are yours.

V: Guilty *he looks anything but guilty*

A: Scott has his locked in his desk drawer, but I don’t usually like to touch those because he has weird ones. He likes to pick up snacks from all over the world and so I can’t always read what they are and they have some strange flavour combinations that aren’t too great. Gordon doesn’t bother hiding his snacks, he either steals ours or just has his celery crunch bars which he knows that no one but Kayo will touch even when he leaves them in the cupboard. Kayo doesn’t really do snacks, she just grazes on whatever the rest of us have, that or she hides hers really really well, because I’ve never found them.

J: I notice how you didn’t reveal where your interviewer hides her food.

S: That’s because I don’t hide any snacks.

A: No, you hide a whole fridge full of real food.

S: *shrugs* Don’t pretend that you don’t benefit.

V: For the benefit of the listeners, she sneaks off now and then and uses the round house kitchen to cook something for us when Grandma can’t be dissuaded from providing a home cooked meal.

J: And we are very grateful.

S: Moving on before Grandma listens to this and we incriminate ourselves, the next question is...oh.

A: What? What is it?

J: *takes over* Tessa also asked where you hide the cookies that Grandma bakes, because there is no way you can eat them all.

A: *shifts uncomfortably* I don’t hide them.

V: Yeah, right.

A: I don’t, I put them in my pocket and flush them down the toilet later.

S: *cracks up laughing* Genius!

J: That actually is.

V: I’m going to have to do that, thanks, Allie.

A: *grins, pleased that he’d been so smart that he’d thought of something his brothers hadn’t* Any more questions?

J: She said there were six, you’ve only had three so far, that leaves another three.

A: Oh yeah.

S: Tessa asked one more and that is: What is the best prank you have ever played on one of your brothers? 

A: *pulls a face that is equal parts worried and shady* 

S: You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.

J: Yes, he does if it’s anything against me.

V: Or me.

A: As if I would!

J: *sits up to give him that look, the one that can stop prank callers in their tracks and make them assess their life choices, clearly saying he didn’t believe his baby brother* 

V: *cranes his neck around from the pilot’s seat to fix him with his own version of the look*

A: *gives in as gracefully as possible* I don’t really play pranks, that’s more Gordon’s department and I tend to just get dragged in by him.

J: Let’s rephrase then, which were you involved with?

A: *shuffles closer to the witch for protection* Only the ones that he promised were harmless and would make you all laugh. I had nothing to do with the bleach in your shampoo, I promise. Or that time he put dishwashing soap in your brush cleaner, Virg.

S: Moving on! Clare asked why you don’t tie your shoelaces?

A: I do in the morning but then they just come undone again and I figured if they were just going to keep doing it, why bother, you know?

S: And lastly, Edith asks why you sleep on the floor?

A: Why does anyone sleep anywhere? Because it’s comfortable.

V: He falls asleep playing games and is too lazy to go to bed.

A: That too.

S: Yay, you did it! Do you still want your quick-fire round? These questions are from me so not evil.

A: Sure!

S: OK, say the first thing that pops into your head, one word answers are fine. John, can you give us a minute on the clock?

J: Starting in three...two...one.

S: Favourite colour?

A: Green or red.

S: Pizza or burger?

A: Burger.

S: What did you want to be when you were small?

A: A dinosaur.

V: *snorts out a laugh*

J: Thirty seconds left.

S: *smiles indulgently because he's so damn cute and serious right now* Describe yourself three words.

A: Short, impulsive, hungry.

S: *bites her lip for a second so she won’t laugh* Favorite zoo animal?

A: Tiger

S: What’s your favorite holiday?

A: Christmas

S: Who is the most intelli-

J: Times up!

A: *breathes a sigh of relief* Is that it, am I done?

S: Yep, all done, sweetheart.

A: Can we get that ice-cream now? Actually, can we get milkshakes instead?

S: Anything you want, right, Virg?

V: Yep, you did good, kiddo.

A: John, are you coming down for a milkshake?

J: *thinks about it for a second* Sure, give me half an hour, I’ll meet you there.

S: Cool, well, we’re off for milkshakes and snacks that we don’t have to hide. Thanks for joining us, come back next month when we’ll be back in our usual location when we’ll be talking to Kayo.

J: We will?

S: Yep, she just doesn’t know it yet.

J: I’ll let you break that news to her.

S: Thanks, love you too.

J: EOS, cut feed, please.


End file.
